On Mother’s Day I wrote a post that eventually was deleted by my own mistake. At first I was upset, but ultimately I’ve always taken the approach of Gods perfect timing with my writing. I never push a post, they must flow from the mouth of God through my fingertips to your eyes. When a post accidentally gets deleted,  I wait for Gods timing in rewriting it. Now is the time!

It was the morning of Mother’s Day and I walked up the stairs like any other day. Half awake and needing coffee as soon as possible. I honestly forgot the importance of the day until my 6 year old came screeching around the corner, telling me to go back to bed. She had a special suprise awaiting in the kitchen and she didn’t want me to ruin it. So, half asleep and pushing through my coffee hang over, I headed back to bed. I sat patiently waiting for this big suprise. With in minutes she enters the room holding a chess board that was doubling as a serving tray. Laid out across the tray was a glorious cup of black coffee, a plate full of an assortment of fruits and a slice of lemon loaf. Next to the plate sat a very subtle yellow plastic Easter egg on top of a handmade card.

Her toothless grin stretched across her face as she awaited the appropriate affirmation. I thanked her for this very thoughtful gift and then proceeded to ask her the importance of the Easter egg. I couldn’t quite figure that one out. She jumped with excitement and announced that my gift was inside. I was rather curious now so I bypassed the cup of black gold to see what precious gift awaited for me inside this tiny plastic egg. I open it with caution and out dropped a small delicate necklace.

The modest chain was a bronze color, a color you only get with age. I instantly knew this necklace must have been well loved before it fell into my hands. The pendant hanging from the chain wasn’t a precious jewel or a diamond, it was something far better. It was a small vintage Mickey Mouse that hung proudly. “Do you love it?” She asked. “Absolutely” I cried with pure love in my eyes.

This child stood before me and watched intently as I put the chain around my neck. Her hands held tightly together in front of her mouth as she awaited for me to reveal what it looked like. As my hands fell she held onto her mouth so the joy wouldn’t pour out. Dropping her hands she said, “it’s beautiful. You really like it?” “I love it” I told her as I gave her a hug and kiss. She immediately skipped out of the room so she could finish her morning cartoons.

As I sat there in silence, sipping on my coffee, I couldn’t shake what God wanted to speak to me in this tender moment. He helped me understand the similarity of receiving this gift and how He sees His children. You see, my daughter didn’t have to give me diamonds or even a gift that day but what she gave me was something far greater, her heart. She poured her whole self into this gift and that is why I loved it so much.

Many times we can come before God with a religious heart. We come with a check list. We feel the need to do certain things and complete certain tasks for him to love us. If we serve more in church, if we give more, if we spend more time reading bible, or if we just play the part we will be loved and accepted by God.

Or other times we don’t come before God at all because we feel like we have nothing to give. Our tank is empty and we feel inadequate. We feel incapable of being loved because we are broken, bronzed with aged, or considered unwanted by the church. We fall away and never approach His glorious throne.

What God showed me that morning was it wasn’t about what we brought to the table, it’s only and always about our heart. My daughter gave me her whole heart that day. She didn’t give it to me out of guilt or with hold the present because she felt it wasn’t good enough, she showed up and gave everything she had. God wants our hearts wholy and solely for himself. How are we approaching him? Are we coming to Him at all?  What condition is our heart in? What are our intentions? We need not do anything but seek him and we will find his love ready and willing to embrace us.

He wants us to come before Him with all that we have, our brokenness and our treasures, and lay them at His feet. We are the most precious gift He could ever receive, we are better than diamonds.

proverbs 3:15